Bāla Kāṇḍa·Śloka 3·0.3
वन्दे बोधमयं नित्यं गुरुं शङ्कररूपिणम्।
यमाश्रितो हि वक्रोऽपि चन्द्रः सर्वत्र वन्द्यते॥
vande bodhamayaṁ nityaṁ guruṁ śaṅkararūpiṇam |
yam āśrito hi vakro’pi candraḥ sarvatra vandyate ||
English rendering
I bow to the guru who is pure knowing itself, eternal, in the very form of Śaṅkara — by whose refuge even the crooked moon, worn on his brow, is honored everywhere.
हिन्दी अनुवाद
मैं ज्ञानस्वरूप, नित्य, शङ्करस्वरूप गुरु की वन्दना करता हूँ, जिनकी शरण में रहने के कारण टेढ़ा चन्द्रमा भी सब जगह पूज्य हो जाता है।
Context — editorial
A memorable image. The crescent moon on Śiva’s head is crooked — imperfect — and yet everywhere adored. What makes a thing sacred, Tulsīdās is saying, is not its own perfection but the refuge it has taken.